Indiana University Health Defeats Surgeon’s Antitrust Lawsuit

Indiana University Health Inc. dodged antitrust litigation over its alleged scheme to corner the regional vascular surgery market, when a federal judge in Indianapolis dismissed claims that it leveraged its primary care monopoly to choke off referrals.

Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson dismissed the case from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, saying internally inconsistent geographic markets proposed by the surgeon leading the lawsuit, Ricardo Vasquez, didn’t reflect the “commercial realities of the industry.”

The suit, which Vasquez filed in June, accused IU Health of setting out to “destroy his reputation and practice"—by revoking his staff privileges, effectively ...